Sports

In Effort To Sign Carmelo Anthony, Rockets May Have Revealed Future Of Jeremy Lin

On the second day of his cross-country recruiting trip, Carmelo Anthony headed to Houston to speak with the Rockets organization. As a part of the wooing process, the Rockets surrounded the Toyota Center with pictures of Anthony in a Rockets uniform.

Based on the photos, it seems Carmelo would wear the No. 7 if he were to play in Houston. Anthony wore the same number while playing for the New York Knicks. However, there is one slight problem with Anthony’s number.

Jeremy Lin, a member of the Houston Rockets and Anthony’s former teammate in New York, already wears No.7. If both were to play for the Rockets next season, Lin would most likely give his jersey number to the superstar.

However, the Rockets are in the process of moving Jeremy Lin to another team. In trying to free up cap space, it comes as no surprise the Rockets would prefer to rid themselves of the $8.3 million Lin is set to make next season.

Reports say the Rockets are in discussion with the Philadelphia 76ers as a potential home for Lin next season.

The move would benefit both teams. Without Lin, Houston has a better chance of signing Anthony because they can offer him more money. On the other side, the 76ers add a solid backup point guard to play behind 2014 NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams.

Lin would be a great addition to Philadelphia’s pool of young players. They already have the athletic big man Nerlens Noel who is preparing to play in his first NBA season after suffering a torn ACL last year. Recently, Philadelphia drafted Joel Embiid, who may miss the entire NBA season with a broken navicular bone in his right foot. Embiid has been praised for his potential talent.

Along with the two big men, the 76ers also traded with the Orlando Magic for Dario Saric, the No. 12 selection in this year’s draft. Once Embiid returns from surgery and everyone is healthy, the 76ers may become one of the more talented, younger teams in the Eastern Conference.

Unfortunately, moving Jeremy Lin does not guarantee the Rockets signing Carmelo Anthony. Although pictures of Anthony in a Houston uniform may flatter him, Anthony has a few more meetings to attend before he makes his final decision of where to play next year.